# FROM

The `FROM` clause is used to specify the table or view to query.

The `FROM` clause is used to specify the table or view to query. It can also be used to specify targets beyond just a single table or record name.

## Syntax

```syntax title="Clause Syntax"
STATEMENT
    [FROM [ONLY] @targets;]
```

## Data retrieval

One of the most common use cases for the `FROM` clause is to specify the table or view to query. You can use this clause to pull data from single or multiple tables.

```surql title="All the ways you can use the FROM clause"
-- Selects all records from both 'user' and 'admin' tables.
SELECT * FROM user, admin;

-- Selects all records from the table named in the variable '$table',
-- but only if the 'admin' field of those records is true.
-- Equivalent to 'SELECT * FROM user WHERE admin = true'.
LET $table = "user";
SELECT * FROM type::table($table) WHERE admin = true;

-- Selects a single record from:
-- * the table named in the variable '$table',
-- * and the identifier named in the variable '$id'.
-- This query is equivalent to 'SELECT * FROM user:admin'.
LET $table = "user";
LET $id = "admin";
SELECT * FROM type::record($table, $id);

-- Selects all records for specific users 'tobie' and 'jaime',
-- as well as all records for the company 'surrealdb'.
SELECT * FROM user:tobie, user:jaime, company:surrealdb;

-- Selects records from a list of identifiers. The identifiers can be numerical,
-- string, or specific records such as 'person:lrym5gur8hzws72ux5fa'.
SELECT * FROM [3648937, "test", person:lrym5gur8hzws72ux5fa, person:4luro9170uwcv1xrfvby];

-- Selects data from an object that includes a 'person' key,
-- which is associated with a specific person record, and an 'embedded' key set to true.
SELECT * FROM { person: person:lrym5gur8hzws72ux5fa, embedded: true };

-- This command first performs a subquery, which selects all 'user' records and adds a
-- computed 'adult' field that is true if the user's 'age' is 18 or older.
-- The main query then selects all records from this subquery where 'adult' is true.
SELECT * FROM (SELECT age >= 18 AS adult FROM user) WHERE adult = true;
```

### Using the `ONLY` keyword

The `ONLY` keyword can be used to specify that only a single targets should be retrieved as a single value instead of inside of an array. This is useful when you want to retrieve data from a single table or view. The `ONLY` keyword can be used in conjunction with the `LIMIT 1` clause to specify that only the specified value should be retrieved.

This keyword is particularly useful with SDKs as returning a single item makes deserialisation easier.

As record IDs are unique, `ONLY` can be used with record IDs without needing to specify `LIMIT 1`. The same goes for single values.

The following examples show when the `ONLY` keyword can be used on its own and when a `LIMIT 1` clause is required to ensure that only a single value is returned.

```surql
-- Create ten random user records along with `user:one`
CREATE |user:10|, user:one;

-- Returns [user:one] inside an array
SELECT * FROM user:one;

-- Returns { id: user:one }
SELECT * FROM ONLY user:one;

-- Error: more than one user record returned
SELECT * FROM ONLY user;

-- Success: LIMIT 1 guarantees a single value
SELECT * FROM ONLY user LIMIT 1;

-- Success: single value returned
SELECT * FROM ONLY 9;

-- Error: more than one value returned
SELECT * FROM ONLY 8, 9;

-- Success: LIMIT 1 guarantees a single value
SELECT * FROM ONLY 8, 9 LIMIT 1;
```